Even though Uchiha Obito had never seen the man inside the coffin before, that familiar face made him freeze in place.
There wasn't a single person in Konoha who wouldn't recognize this legendary ancestor—he was the man who truly cemented Konoha's dominance in the shinobi world, his face carved onto the Hokage Rock, his legacy recorded in every academy textbook.
The Second Hokage — Senju Tobirama!
"This is... the Impure World Reincarnation?" Obito muttered.
Senju Tobirama slowly opened his amber-red eyes, which glowed like polished gems. "To think... that I would one day be summoned by this jutsu."
The original creator of the Impure World Reincarnation was none other than Senju Tobirama himself.
A true genius of forbidden jutsu, the Second Hokage had developed numerous powerful and terrifying secret techniques during his lifetime. Many of them were specifically designed to counter a certain red-eyed clan—such as the Bringer-of-Darkness, which was clearly invented to neutralize the Sharingan.
Among all his creations, the Impure World Reincarnation was one of the most powerful.
Tobirama developed the jutsu long before Konoha had even been officially founded. Even in its early form, the jutsu showcased its terrifying potential. Although the prototype lacked the refinement of Orochimaru's current version, it still boasted one core feature—undying corpses made from the impurities of the world. Paired with his Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags technique, it basically turned the user into a suicide bomber from hell.
Many top-tier shinobi of the era had fallen to Tobirama's early use of this technique—especially during the wars that solidified Konoha's foundation. The second Tsuchikage of the Land of Earth, Mu, had publicly denounced the Impure World Reincarnation as a vile, dishonorable technique—and made it clear he despised Tobirama for it.
But contempt was just noise. No matter how loudly others cursed it, they couldn't deny the sheer power of the forbidden jutsu.
Orochimaru had mastered this technique years ago—well before the Third Great Ninja War.
Unlike Tobirama's more explosive application, Orochimaru's version focused on fully restoring the abilities of the deceased—bringing them back from the Pure Land not as mere puppets, but as powerful shinobi bound to his control.
He had already used this jutsu to summon the Third Kazekage.
Now, he had summoned the Second Hokage as well.
"I didn't have a choice, Lord Second," Orochimaru's hoarse voice echoed.
"In the face of someone who possesses both the Mangekyō Sharingan and the First Hokage's Wood Release—not to mention mastery over unique space-time ninjutsu—I had no other option but to call upon you."
"What?"
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Tobirama completely ignored the how and why of his summoning. He didn't ask who Orochimaru was or what the situation entailed. Instead, he zeroed in on the most alarming part of the statement:
"Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Tobirama's gaze turned razor-sharp, his crimson eyes locking onto the swirling-patterned mask of Uchiha Obito.
The moment he saw the blood-red Sharingan with its three tomoe, Tobirama's expression grew feral, his aura instantly chilling the air.
"A damn Uchiha brat born evil by nature! I'll end you myself!"
He didn't even wait for Orochimaru to give the command or use talismans to control him. The Second Hokage, who had always seen the Uchiha as a clan steeped in danger, immediately drew a kunai from his waist and hurled it straight at Obito.
Obito snapped out of his daze just in time to activate his intangibility, wary of both Orochimaru and the man he had just summoned.
He had heard of Impure World Reincarnation before—Orochimaru had used it in the past, during his encounter with Nagato's group, to summon the Third Kazekage. But this... this was the Second Hokage.
Obito knew all about Tobirama's legendary legacy. So the moment Tobirama made a move, Obito didn't hesitate—he activated his Kamui and phased out of the material world.
Shing!
The kunai passed harmlessly through Obito's head and clattered to the ground.
Tobirama narrowed his eyes sharply.
Just as he suspected—it was a space-time technique, but not like his own Flying Thunder God. This one moved the user into an alternate dimension, allowing complete evasion of physical attacks.
"As per the intel we gathered, this guy's space-time ninjutsu allows him to slip into another dimension to avoid incoming attacks," Orochimaru explained calmly. "His body only becomes tangible when he's the one attacking."
"And he also possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan, powerful Fire Release techniques, and even the First Hokage's Wood Release. Please be careful, Lord Second!"
"Mangekyō and Wood Release, huh... in that case..."
Tobirama's hands blurred through hand seals.
Obito, still phased out, suddenly felt the surrounding environment plunge into utter darkness—as if the world itself had vanished, light and all.
A genjutsu capable of suppressing even the Sharingan—Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!
Yet Obito didn't panic. He remained intangible.
Kamui was just that overpowered. As long as he didn't deactivate it himself, no attack could touch him.
But that led to a different problem:
How do you win if you can't attack?
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
A raspy voice echoed from another direction.
Without warning, massive vines and tree roots burst out of the ground, instantly consuming the entire underground laboratory.
Orochimaru and Tobirama were both caught completely off guard as the trees surged toward them, growing at an unnatural speed. In seconds, they formed a towering forest.
"When—?!"
"There's someone else?! What terrifying stealth!"
Both Orochimaru and Tobirama wore grim expressions as they struggled to escape. But the Wood Release drained their chakra endlessly. Not even the regenerative chakra of Impure World Reincarnation could counteract it.
The technique was known to suppress chakra itself—it was the natural counter to Edo Tensei!
Obito had known this, which is why he hadn't acted personally. Instead, he had instructed Zetsu to make the move.
Two vs. two doesn't count as cheating.
The vines wrapped tightly around Tobirama, draining his chakra and sealing him completely.
Orochimaru turned, stunned, as a second figure emerged from the ground—Zetsu, wearing the familiar black cloak with red clouds. His golden eyes narrowed in surprise.
"A second user of Wood Release…?"
"You have no idea how deep our resources go," Obito said coldly. "Now, are you ready to talk properly?"
"The power of Wood Release really is astonishing," Orochimaru remarked, glancing at Tobirama, who was now completely suppressed beneath the massive tree. Yet, there wasn't the slightest hint of fear on his face. Instead, he remained calm—almost amused.
"But if you think Wood Release alone is enough to make me submit… then you're underestimating Orochimaru far too much."
Rumble...
The ground beneath Orochimaru's feet began to tremble again.
A second wooden coffin burst from the ground. The lid creaked open and fell to the side, revealing the figure sealed within.
At just a glance, both Obito and Zetsu's expressions changed drastically, their eyes turning grave.
"You actually went so far as to summon him…"
"A Konoha shinobi like you—doing this to the founding Hokage—you really have no respect left for your village, do you, Orochimaru!?"
Because if he was also brought back via Edo Tensei—alongside the Second Hokage—then they really couldn't afford to keep underestimating Orochimaru.
After all… the power of Wood Release originated from him.
"I'm a rogue ninja, remember?" Orochimaru replied with a smirk. "So tell me—are you two prepared to face the God of Shinobi?"
Obito's expression grew solemn. Beneath his swirling mask, his crimson Sharingan fixed tightly on the figure emerging from the coffin.
What was supposed to be a simple recruitment had taken an unexpected—and extremely dangerous—turn. Orochimaru had proven he wasn't just a loose cannon—he was a disaster waiting to happen.
If it came to a fight here… things might spiral out of control.
"…Stand down, Orochimaru," Black Zetsu suddenly spoke up, cutting through the rising tension before the second battle could erupt. "We're not here to fight. We came to recruit you into Akatsuki, not destroy you."
"Oh?" Orochimaru sneered. "You barge into my research facility uninvited, destroy half my base, and pick a fight with me—and now you say you're not here to fight?"
"Showing strength is the basis of all negotiation, isn't it?"
Black Zetsu's tone turned serious. "I've seen your thirst for scientific exploration. If you join us, we can provide you with every kind of resource and support—laboratories, test subjects, even forbidden materials. You wouldn't be shackled by restrictions."
"Besides… you need strong bodies for your Impure World Reincarnation, right? We can help you collect corpses from powerful shinobi all over the world."
"And our organization imposes very few limits on its members. Other than carrying out the occasional mission, we won't interfere with your personal projects. You gain everything—and lose nothing."
"…That does sound rather tempting," Orochimaru said, licking his lips in a serpentine motion. "But I'll need some proof of sincerity."
"What do you want?"
Black Zetsu didn't even hesitate—he cut Obito off entirely, as though he had taken full control of the negotiation.
Obito said nothing, but his three-tomoe Sharingan drifted silently between Orochimaru and Zetsu, as though calculating every possible outcome.
"I want a sample of that guy's cells," Orochimaru said, his eyes locking onto Obito. "And… since you were at the Battle of Higashimatsuyama, you should've had some contact with that guy—Yuki Yoru."
"I want every piece of intel you have on him. Everything."
Zetsu looked at Obito, who remained silent for a moment.
Then, without saying a word, Obito raised his right arm—the one made of White Zetsu flesh—and sliced it off cleanly.
He tossed the severed limb to Orochimaru, then pulled a scroll from his distorted Kamui dimension and threw that over as well.
Orochimaru's tongue extended unnaturally, catching both the arm and the scroll before pulling them into his stomach.
"…Looks like we do have the foundation for a working partnership after all."
Meanwhile…
"This is… Kirigakure?!"
Senju Tsunade stood frozen, stunned by the village spread out before her.
Orderly, bustling, almost peaceful—it looked less like the dark, bloody village she had heard of and more like a mist-covered version of Konoha itself.
She had never visited Kirigakure before, but she was well-informed about what it had always been.
From all past intelligence and reports, Kirigakure—the Village Hidden in the Mist—was a place perpetually shrouded in water vapor, ruled with an iron grip. It was a pressure-cooker of brutality and secrecy. A breeding ground of blood and betrayal.
But this? This village before her?
It was thriving.
Infrastructure development was booming. Shinobi and civilians mingled freely. Merchants and street vendors lined the roads, their stalls lively and well-stocked. It was bustling, energetic, even harmonious.
This couldn't possibly be the Village of the Bloody Mist…
If someone had told her this was Konoha under a bit of fog, she would've believed it.
"This has to be fake… how long has that guy—Yuki Yoru—even been the Fourth Mizukage? And he's already turned it into this?!"
Tsunade shook her head sharply, wondering if she'd somehow fallen under a genjutsu. Then, with Shizune in tow, she made her way straight toward the center of the village.
But they hadn't gone far when an ANBU operative—wearing a pure white mask—suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking the path.
"They're here."
Tsunade tensed immediately, mentally preparing for a fight.
Everyone knew that Kirigakure's ANBU were an elite force that handled all black-ops assignments. Though they bore the same title as Konoha's ANBU, their reputation was closer to Danzō's Root in terms of ruthlessness.
"You're newcomers to Kirigakure, correct?" the masked ANBU said calmly, with no hostility. He pulled out a clipboard and a small sample container. "All visitors must register their identity… and leave behind a small cell sample."
"…And then?" Tsunade asked cautiously.
"Then what?"
The ANBU gave no further instruction.
After she filled in the form with her real name—Senju Tsunade—the ANBU gave her a brief glance and stepped aside, letting her enter the village without a word.
That… was completely unexpected.
She was Tsunade of the Sannin. Even if she currently suffered from hemophobia, her combat capabilities were still on par with a top-level jōnin when using chakra control and sealing techniques.
And they just let her in?
"…Don't tell me Yuki Yoru planned this out specifically for me?" she muttered.
But that theory fell apart quickly.
Because others behind her were also allowed through the same way—civilians, merchants, wandering shinobi… all passed after the same process: identity registration and a small genetic sample.
"No restrictions, no interrogations… he's not even worried about spies or leaks?"
Tsunade couldn't help but grumble, baffled.
"Come on, Shizune. Let's find out what this guy is really up to."
The two of them entered the center of Kirigakure, not to sightsee—but to investigate. Disguising themselves as ordinary shinobi, they quietly began gathering intel on the elusive new Mizukage.
They found nothing but admiration for Yuki Yoru. The villagers and shinobi alike praised him with heartfelt sincerity. The massive construction efforts—including the Kirigakure Duel Tower—the bustling maternity hospitals with hundreds of expectant mothers, the revitalized commerce and trade…
Tsunade was left utterly stunned. She couldn't reconcile the thriving village before her with the bloody, repressive place she had read about just a few years ago.
And yet—that wasn't even the most shocking part.
Not until she saw the man in the white haori.
Captain of the 2nd Division of the Gotei 13.
Uchiha Shisui.